prieto



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

M. PRIETO.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 600,209. Patented Mar. 8,1898.

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WITNESSES:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. P'RIETO.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 600,209. Patented Mar. 8,1898.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

Nrrnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,209, dated March 8, 1898.

Application filed March 6, 1897- ri N 626,306. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, MANUEL PRIETO, of the city of Mexico, in the Republic of Mexico, a citizen of said Republic, temporarily residing in the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Car Couplin gs, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement may be applied to couplings for cars of all sizes and classes for use on all kinds of railroads. I will describe it mainly as applied to a coupling for freightcars on ordinary railways.

I provide for easily opening the coupling by the operator either on the platform or at the top of the car. The parts instantly adjust themselves, so that the coupling will engage promptly with an ordinary couplinglink when it is thrust in by the movement of one of the cars. The parts may operate by gravity alone.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, a portion of the coupling being broken away to economize space on the drawing. Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation with certain parts removed and is partly a central longitudinal vertical section with the link engaged. Fig. 3 is afront view corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical section corresponding to Fig. 2, but with the coupling open. It is shown in the act of receiving the link from another car,which will liberate the trigger and effect the coupling. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the pin detached and showing its offset having the vertical grooves into which extend the pins rigidly attached to the cover to guide the vertical movements of the coupling-pin. The remaining figures show details detached. Fig. 6 is a side view, and Fig. 7 a plan View, of the internal lever. Fig. 8 is a side view, and Fig. 9 an edge view, of the connecting-piece or toggle. Fig. 10 is a side view, and Fig. 11 an edge View, of what I denominate the trigger. Fig. 12 is an elevation of a piece which is secured on the end of the car to support the-operatingrod. Fig. 13 is a plan view showinga modification of a portion. Fig. 14 shows the details of the connections for setting the pin by the treadle illustrated in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a fragmentary View illustrating in plan the manner in which the securing-bolt engages the end of the coupling-neck.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is the body or coupling-head, of cast-iron or other suitable material. It may be mounted on the car in any ordinary or suitable manner, under the end of the car, (not shown,) with liberty to swing laterally and to yield somewhat longitudinally, as will be readily understood. Certain portions will be designated, when necessary, by supernumerals.

A is a removable cover which allows access to the simple internal parts when required for examination or repairs. may be of the ordinary form and dimensions, adapted to receive a coupling-link M from another car.

Bis a stout vertical pin provided with a transverse inBnearits u. erend b which it may be raised and lowered to the extent required. \Vhen it is down, its lower end is received in a sufficient pocket a in the base of the aperture a;

D is a horizontal shaft supported in bearings in the head A and having fixed on its outer end an arm D, to which force may be applied, as will be described farther on, to effect the opening of the coupling.

E is a lever adapted to turn in a space a in the upper portion of the head. It is fixed on the shaft D, so as to turn therewith, and performs important functions. is forked, as indicated in Fig. 7, and engages the transverse pin B in the slots 6. Itsopposite end is deep and provided with a slot 6, which receives a pin G, set in the togglepiece G, the slot allowing'considerable movement of one part before motion will be necessarily imparted to the other. The lower side of the lever E near the mid-length is provided with a deep recess 6 and near it is a shallow and rounded recess 0 which latter receives the nose of the trigger when the coupling is set in the open position.

II is the trigger, certain portions being des- The flaring throat a Its front end.

ignated, when necessary, by supernumerals. It turns loosely on a transverse pin A set in the head.

H is a nosewhich when the coupling is engaged lies idly in the deep recess e and when the coupling is set engages in the shallow re- Boss 6 and holds the pin B in its elevated position. A smoothly-rounded surface H' is adapted to receive the impact of the link M, which is thrust into the flared mouth a from another car. The back face of the lower end of the trigger is formed as a stout knuckle H which engages by a pin I with the lower end of the toggle G.

The upper end of the coupling-pin B is extended rearward to present an offset, as indicated by B which is formed at the sides to present vertical guide-grooves b, which receive corresponding straight smooth pins A extending downward from the lower face of the cover A. These serve to guide the pin as it is moved up and down by the tilting of the lever E.

The rear end of the shank orneck of the head is somewhat enlarged, as indicated by A in Figs. 1, 2, and 15, and has a T-shaped slot vertically, into which the head 0 of the securing-bolt engages.

The arm D extends in an approximately horizontal position, but inclined upward or downward, according as the coupling is open or closed. To effect the opening of the coupling, I depress the arm D forcibly by the aid of a cross-lever K, which is pivoted between lugs A A cast on the side of the couplinghead A, and extends outward to a sufficient distance to give a very effective leverage.

' The operator may apply his strength directly to that lever K, or if he is up at the top of the car he operates through a rod L, extending upward, as shown.

The upper end of the rod may be formed with a handle L, by which the lever K is operated. The operation of setting the pin simply requires the lever K to be depressed, and said pin will be elevated and secured by the engagement of the'nose H of the trigger H in the notch e The dropping of the pin will allow the restoration of the lever K by the attendant. It may be held suspended by the aid of a spring P,which is mounted in the housing F, secured on the end of the car, the rod L being engaged therewith by means of a side arm L which is thrust into the housing F above the spring.

I attach importance to the support and guidance of the coupling-pin independently of the loosely-connected lever, because it relieves the latter from any strain except that required to overcome the gravity of the lever and pin and the slight friction involved. The lever E may be light and lightly mounted.

I attach importance to the toggle or link G, because, although slotted, so as to be loose, its looseness has a limit, and it insures that when the lever E is manually operated the trigger shall drop into position for holding the coupling open if friction or other slight cause might prevent the gravity of the trigger from attaining this end.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The housing F may be made longer and the spring P correspondingly lengthened, so that the lever K may be depressed to the full extent required to elevate the coupling-pin and disengage the "coupling without taking the arm L out of its engagement with the spring, but simply depressing the spring by the strength of the operator. It will be preferable in most cases to disengage the arm L from its place over the spring P by a lateral movement of the rod L, as above described. The form of the coupling-head may be varied within wide limits.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I have illustrated an arrangement for actuating the lever E by the foot of the attendant. The treadle R, pref- 'erably weighted, is pivotally mounted at any suitable point and is connected by a short link R with an arm secured in the end of the shaft D. This allows the foot to be applied with the proper leverage without extending into contact with the transverse timber of the car.

I claim as my invention 1. Ina car-coupling, the head having the link-opening and the vertically-movable pin, in combination with the manually-elevated horizontal lever E, and trigger-block H for engaging and sustaining the same, and both pivoted in the upper part of the head, the le- Ver being in slotted engagement at its front with the pin, and engaged by a toggle connection at its rear with said block, said pin, lever, toggle and block being inclosed and supported within the head, substantially as herein specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the head having the link-opening and the vertically-movable pin and lever E in slotted engagement therewith, said lever being positively secured on a shaft D, free to turn in hearings in the head and rigidly carrying an arm at a right angle, and the transverse manually-operated lever K,independent of the arm D but arranged to depress the same, in combination with a triggerblock loosely connected with the lever E, and

arranged to sustain it and be struck by the entering link, substantially as herein speci fied.

3. In a car-coupling, the head containing the vertically-movable pin B and manuallyoperated lever E loosely engaged therewith and having the under recess e and shallower recess 6 in combination with means for turning such lever to raise the coupling-pin at will, and with the trigger-block H having a nose H for engaging the recess 6 to support the lever and arranged to be struck by the link M to liberate the parts and effect the coupling, substantially as herein specified.

4. In a car-coupling, the head having the link-opening and the vertically-movable pin, incombination with the manually-elevated horizontal lever E, and trigger-block H, for engaging and sustaining the same, and both pivoted in the upper part of the head, said block having a rear knuckle loosely connected by a toggle with the rear end of the lever, the front end of which is in slotted engagement With the pin G, substantially as herein specified.

5. In a car-coupling, the head containing the vertically-movable pin 13 and pivoted lever E, in slotted engagement therewith, and having a rear toggle connection With a pivoted trigger-block H for engaging the lever and holding it and the pin elevated, in combination With lever-operating means including the rod L having the projection L for engaging a spring P in a housing F, substantially as herein specified.

6. In a car-coupling, the head containing the vertically-movable pin having the rear offset B with a vertical groove 1) a removable cover having a guide-pin A depending into said recess, a pivoted lever E, in slotted engagement at its front with the pin B and connected with a trigger-block H for holding it and the pin elevated and located to be struck by the link, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MANUEL PRIETO.

Witnesses:

Jos. F. X. HORGAN, WILLIAM PATTON. 

